Men and women in the Hughes Laboratory Machine Shop are devoted to the building of full-scale test models of rock bits, tool joints and other drilling tools for laboratory and field testing. In connection with the latter, the shop is equipped to manufacture these tools in sufficient quantities to make possible extensive and simultaneous field trials. The machine shop handles a large amount of work for Research, Product and Metallurgical Engineering divisions. This includes building new designs, new mechanisms and new devices for preliminary testing.

Wing and engines of the Flying Boat are visible in this photograph that was taken during Howard Hughes first test flight. Harbor Island is visible in the distance. Photograph likely taken from inside the plane. Stamped on the back of the photo "Hughes Aircraft Photo" and the date "Nov 2 1947." Los Angeles Harbor is now known as Long Beach Harbor.